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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497771">Contractual Obligations</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescent_woods/pseuds/crescent_woods'>crescent_woods</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sprint fics [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Endgame Lukanette, F/M, bro idk if you can actually minor in modeling but its for the Plot, luka is a himbo in loooove, nothing bad actually happens he just says creep things, random dude Simon is a creep and does not drink his respect women juice</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:27:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,141</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26497771</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescent_woods/pseuds/crescent_woods</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette is working on a modeling minor in college, and Luka helps model with her program.</p><p>Written for the LBSC sprint fic challenge! Prompt: "Sorry... sir... the contract says I need to sit in your lap."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>sprint fics [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2038494</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>LBSCSprintFicChallenge</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Contractual Obligations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>the sprint fic challege is to pick a prompt and write it in 3 15-minute sprints! and then edit it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Marinette looked over the partner listings for the class’s newest assignment. She hoped, for once, that she could have a decent and respectable partner instead of one of the slimy boys she’d been stuck with in the past weeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But who’s name was marked next to hers this week? Simon Boucher. Of course. Why would fate want to spare her?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was starting to wonder why she had even added a modeling minor with her degree in fashion design. In theory, it would have been good insight into the people who would be wearing her designs, so she knew all the details of how modelling comes to be. She could run her own business someday, knowing how poses, outfits, and chemistry worked together would make her a better designer. Although she was starting to wonder if it was worth dealing with all the immature “men” that came with it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure, they were all stunningly gorgeous, that was practically a requirement to be in the program. But they never quite acted how she expected men of their age to behave.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, just as there were bad apples, Marinette did have to admit there were a few she really did enjoy. A blonde guy, what was his name? Alex? Aiden? Adrien? A childhood model or something. He was respectful. Sometimes stone-cold and distant, but she supposed that was better than slimy and aggressive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marc was wonderful, too. Terribly quiet, but as soon as you saw his face? Knockout. Heart eyes personified. A puppy in a trenchcoat. Marc was one of her favorite guys to partner with, even Madame Arpin agreed in her performance reviews. Marinette didn’t think she had ever heard a bad thing about Marc’s shoot behavior.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette had to admit, as much as she respected Adrien and loved Marc, Luka was by far her favorite to partner with, though. He was nowhere near as innocently peasant as the other two, but charming in his own way. Constantly edging the boundaries just enough to stand out, but not to be rejected. She could barely keep a straight face when he was her partner because he would never shut up with his stupid jokes and romantic quotes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was something about Luka’s lovey attitude that charmed the heck out of her. Lord knows she didn’t need another </span>
  <em>
    <span>distraction</span>
  </em>
  <span> during school, but she couldn’t help it. Her knees went weak when he called her gorgeous and looked at her with that </span>
  <em>
    <span>smile</span>
  </em>
  <span> and -- </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, doll. Glad to be working with you, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The voice came from behind her. And she knew who it belonged to before she even turned around. Only one particular man talked to her like that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Simon! Hi. I have to go, I still need to head back to makeup and wardrobe. I’ll meet you on set?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes roved over her body, as if he were imagining just how she would look in their lingerie assignment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I guess I’ll see you out there, sweet thing.” He left with a wink and another look-over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wonderful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, Marinette. Slide closer. I need you guys to be close together, really sell the couple vibes,” their photographer, Jaques, called. Marinette pressed her shoulders against his chest, trying her hardest to keep as little contact as possible while still meeting the brief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. Closer. Simon, wrap your arms around her.” A beat. “Yeah, good. Marinette, I still need you closer. Look like an intimate couple, not a blind date.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette shuffled again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mar-” Jaques sighed. “You know what, this isn’t working. Let’s take a break. Chill out, get in the mindset. I need to talk to Madame Arpin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Faster than was might have been professionally acceptable, Marinette slid off of Simon’s lap and grabbed the fluffy robe a photography assistant was holding out for her. She wrapped it around her body and headed to the break room without stopping for anyone. Hoping the stars could align for </span>
  <em>
    <span>once</span>
  </em>
  <span> and it would be empty so she could relax for the smallest second.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course it wasn’t. Although she certainly didn’t mind the company of its sole inhabitant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey there, how’s your shoot? You’re with… Marc, right?” Marinette asked as she slid onto the stool across from Luka Couffaine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Gorgeous. He left a few minutes into makeup, some sort of migraine he thought he could work through. Obviously,” Luka shrugged, “he couldn’t. Not that I blame him, he looked like shit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh no,” Marinette pouted. “I’ll have to check on him later. I heard he had a rough time last week, too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a beat of silence as they sat comfortably. “But at least you get some free time,” Marinette added. “Write some music in your head, or whatever you musicians do in your spare time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Luka laughed. “I don’t know what spare time you mean, Gorgeous. Between this, working at the flower shop, and babysitting tiny Ivy, I don’t remember the last time I could just create. You probably know how that can feel.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm, should I stop talking, then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no, Melody. I would rather listen to your voice than the grandest symphony. At least then, I would never get tired of hearing it,” he gave her a Luka Original smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette turned red as the set she was wearing under her robe. “That’s so not fair, Luka! You can’t just say things like that!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He kept those mesmerizing eyes on her. “Whatever it takes to keep you talkin’, Gorgeous.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I swear, one day I’ll out-swoon you. Then you’ll know what it feels like!” Marinette laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You make me swoon every time I see you, though.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She flushed darker and grumbled as Madame Arpin slammed open the break room door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Marinette, Luka. Up front. Now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh shit. Did you do something?” Marinette shook her head. “Well, I don’t think I did.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They followed her to the open area in the center of the studio, where they found Jaques and Simon waiting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Simon, Marinette. I don’t know what’s gotten into you today, but this partnership isn’t working. You’ll be switching partners. Luka and Marinette, you’re good to go with Jaques.” Luka bumped her shoulder with his own. “Simon, you’re going to be with Luka’s partner, Marc. I hope this arrangement goes smoother.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>, ma’am? You told us you would never split up assignments! It’s not fair that I lose my rotation with Marinette!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Partnerships for </span>
  <em>
    <span>assignments,</span>
  </em>
  <span> yes. But this is also a client’s product. One that we are being paid to shoot. You know that. Go back to your station Simon, and Martin will fill you in on shooting with Marc.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Simon gave one last glare to Madame Arpin and Luka before stomping off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, Gorgeous, I guess we’re gonna have some fun.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but remember. I’m contractually obligated to sit on your lap, funny boy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even better,” he murmurs.</span>
</p>
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